up the small space, and enveloping her. “Hold up,” he said with a touch to her arm. “What were you doing out there?”
“I just needed some air,” she said. “It’s hotter than the seventh circle of hell in there.”
“Well, the alley isn’t the place to go. Unless you want to get raped or mugged. You never go out there alone. Come get me next time. Understand?” He exhaled through his nose, somber eyes boring into her. “Now. What’s wrong?”
After witnessing his drama, she’d almost forgotten her own. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. “I fucked up once back in high school, and it comes back to haunt me now and then. It’s nothing, really. I’m over it.” When she opened her eyes, he stood in front of her, leaning on the opposite wall, hands in his pockets, brow furrowed. To her relief, there was no judgment in his stare, only compassion and curiosity.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Just the one time? Shit. I fuck up on a daily basis. Consider yourself lucky.” One corner of his mouth quirked into a reluctant grin. “Just ask my ex.”
“At least no one thinks you’re a worthless whore.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she bit her lip and wished she could take them back.
Randy cocked his head and studied her. The exit sign above the door illuminated the sharp edges of his profile with devilish red light. He took his hands from his pockets, grabbed her hand, and tugged her down the hall. “Who was it? Point them out to me.”
“No. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.” She forced a reluctant smile, caught off guard by his concern. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let them know they hurt my feelings. Besides, why should I care what they think? It was a long time ago, and I know the truth about what happened.” She raised one shoulder and let it drop in an unconcerned shrug.
His eyes met hers, the connection irrefutable between them. “You’re a smart girl.” His thumb whispered over the back of her hand, gentle and encouraging. A hint of a smile twitched in the corner of his mouth. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go kick their asses?”
She didn’t say anything but shook her head.
Randy huffed through his nose, feigning disappointment. “Fine. Come on then.” He tightened his grasp on her hand. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink.”
Seated at the bar with the counter between them, Randy poured two generous shots of Jaegermeister and slid one silently across the polished wood in front of her. “Jack asked me to take you home tonight.” He spoke matter-of-factly, as if she hadn’t delivered a deathblow to his heart a few minutes earlier. “I’ll need to close up first, though.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “Really. I don’t want to be any trouble."
"Nope." He placed both hands flat on the counter, one on each side of her empty water glass and studied them. "Jack said I was to deliver you to your door. So deliver you, I will."
"Do you always do what Jack says?" The Jaegermeister burned as she tossed it back. The sweet taste of licorice lingered on her tongue. Randy leaned toward her, his movement stirring a whiff of masculine shower gel and fabric softener.
"Not usually," he replied. Something had shifted between them, taking them over the hump from strangers to friends. The weight of mutual disappointment and heartbreak spanned the distance between them like a bridge. “But I’m going to make an exception for you.”
“So you’re the rebellious, break-all-the-rules type?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
He stared back, his gaze unwavering in its intensity. Humor curled the corners of his mouth. “More like the can’t-catch-a-break, fuck-everything-up type. As I think you already know.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m the Queen of Bad Decisions.” She extended a hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you.”
The broad shoulders lifted in a shrug before he poured out two more shots
“I just needed some air,” she said. “It’s hotter than the seventh circle of hell in there.”
“Well, the alley isn’t the place to go. Unless you want to get raped or mugged. You never go out there alone. Come get me next time. Understand?” He exhaled through his nose, somber eyes boring into her. “Now. What’s wrong?”
After witnessing his drama, she’d almost forgotten her own. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. “I fucked up once back in high school, and it comes back to haunt me now and then. It’s nothing, really. I’m over it.” When she opened her eyes, he stood in front of her, leaning on the opposite wall, hands in his pockets, brow furrowed. To her relief, there was no judgment in his stare, only compassion and curiosity.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Just the one time? Shit. I fuck up on a daily basis. Consider yourself lucky.” One corner of his mouth quirked into a reluctant grin. “Just ask my ex.”
“At least no one thinks you’re a worthless whore.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she bit her lip and wished she could take them back.
Randy cocked his head and studied her. The exit sign above the door illuminated the sharp edges of his profile with devilish red light. He took his hands from his pockets, grabbed her hand, and tugged her down the hall. “Who was it? Point them out to me.”
“No. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.” She forced a reluctant smile, caught off guard by his concern. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let them know they hurt my feelings. Besides, why should I care what they think? It was a long time ago, and I know the truth about what happened.” She raised one shoulder and let it drop in an unconcerned shrug.
His eyes met hers, the connection irrefutable between them. “You’re a smart girl.” His thumb whispered over the back of her hand, gentle and encouraging. A hint of a smile twitched in the corner of his mouth. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go kick their asses?”
She didn’t say anything but shook her head.
Randy huffed through his nose, feigning disappointment. “Fine. Come on then.” He tightened his grasp on her hand. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink.”
Seated at the bar with the counter between them, Randy poured two generous shots of Jaegermeister and slid one silently across the polished wood in front of her. “Jack asked me to take you home tonight.” He spoke matter-of-factly, as if she hadn’t delivered a deathblow to his heart a few minutes earlier. “I’ll need to close up first, though.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “Really. I don’t want to be any trouble."
"Nope." He placed both hands flat on the counter, one on each side of her empty water glass and studied them. "Jack said I was to deliver you to your door. So deliver you, I will."
"Do you always do what Jack says?" The Jaegermeister burned as she tossed it back. The sweet taste of licorice lingered on her tongue. Randy leaned toward her, his movement stirring a whiff of masculine shower gel and fabric softener.
"Not usually," he replied. Something had shifted between them, taking them over the hump from strangers to friends. The weight of mutual disappointment and heartbreak spanned the distance between them like a bridge. “But I’m going to make an exception for you.”
“So you’re the rebellious, break-all-the-rules type?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
He stared back, his gaze unwavering in its intensity. Humor curled the corners of his mouth. “More like the can’t-catch-a-break, fuck-everything-up type. As I think you already know.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m the Queen of Bad Decisions.” She extended a hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you.”
The broad shoulders lifted in a shrug before he poured out two more shots
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